Foot and shoe protectors



P 1960 D. s. LAVEN 2,952,926

FOOT AND SHOE PROTECTORS Filed Oct. 16, 1959 FIG./

FIG.2

INVEN TOR. DOROTH Y S. LAVEN A TTORNE Y United States Patent FOOT AND SHOE PROTECTORS Dorothy S. Laven, 5833 Weaver Ave., McLean, Va.

Filed Oct. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 846,829

1 Claim. (Cl. 3'611) The present invention relates generally to a one piece disposable impervious thin film envelope-like device having particular utility as a new shoe protector and as an overall foot protector for customers when trying on new shoes in the shoe store prior to purchase thereof.

During the normal course of business in a shoe store many new shoes are tried on and ruined by prospective customers. For example, the frequent trying on of new shoes soon soils and often damages the inside of the shoes so that soon they cannot be sold as new shoes. The soiling and damaging of new shoes being tried on in the store as is usually done, that is, over a sock, stocking or an uncovered customers foot will inevitably result in new shoe damage, because customers socks, stockings or feet are to varying degrees unclean due to perspiration, dirt, including the fact that some customers have various diseases of the feet or may be carriers of such diseases. Thus, each new shoe tried on and not purchased will subsequently be tried on by another prospective purchaser, who is then subjected to any unclean matter or diseased condition left by the former prospective purchasers.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a novel impervious thin film-like throw-away or temporary covering for the entire foot of a prospective purchaser of new shoes adapted to be worn over the regular sock or stocking, or the foot itself in the event no regular sock or stocking is worn. Such a throw-away temporary thin-film new shoe protector gives every shoe store that sells new shoes a basis to provide its customers with a written guarantee that every pair of new shoes in stock has not been in contact with dirty foot Wear or feet, plus the fact that every prospective purchaser is himself protected from new shoes that have been tried on by others.

Another object is to provide a new disposable shoe protector formed of simple and cheap tissue thin material, such as a transparent, non-absorbent thin polyethylene material.

A further object is to provide a foot covering from a. single sheet of thermoplastic material, such as tissue thin polyethylene, whereby the foot covering may be subjected to heat and pressure, to thereby heat seam the same into the form of a temporary overall foot covering.

Still a further object is to provide a foot covering from a single sheet of tissue thin thermoplastic material having straight line edges at the toe and heel portions to facilitate the heat sealing of the seams defining the toe and foot portions thereof during the formation of the foot cover into the final finished product.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein the invention is illustrated, which is one of many methods and/or designs that can be used. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to define the limits of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the appended claim.

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In the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention, showing the toe, heel and a side portion thereof;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the foot covering before the toe and heel portions are formed; and

Figure 3 is illustrative of the protective overall foot cover applied to the foot of a customer trying a new shoe prior to the possible purchase of the same. 7

Referring in detail to the drawings and first with particular reference to Figure 2, there is shown a sheet of tissue thin non-absorbent or impervious thermoplastic material 10 laid out in blank form. This blank comprises duplicate side, toe and heel portions, 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 and 15 and 16, respectively, to provide for formation of the complete foot and shoe protector A. Each side portion 11 and 12 is formed with straight edges 17 and 18, which converge into a V-shaped section adjacent the ankle. The side edge 18 converges outwardly of the sheet to the straight edges 19, respectively, of the toe portions 13 and 14, and said edges 19 of each .toe portion converge to straight toe end edges 20 and 21, which are equally spaced apart by a V-notch 22 cut in the blank.

The heel of the device is formed from the continuation of side edges 17-17 to straight line heel end edges 22 and 23, which are equally spaced apart by a V-notch 24.

With the foregoing arrangement of the respective outwardly converging edges, there is provided more material at the respective toe and heel portions of the blank. Thus when folding the blank 10 along the center line 25 to register the duplicate side, toe and heel portions as in Figure l, the quantity of material at the toe and heel is ample to permit a lap sealing of the thermoplastic by heat and pressure along continuous edges of the portions as shown at 26, 27 and 28 at the toe and at 29 and 30 at the heel of the protective foot cover A.

In Figure 3, the actual use of the protective device A is illustrated applied to the foot 31 of a prospective customer and as the customers foot is being inserted into a new shoe 32 to try the same on. As shown, the protective cover A is being worn over a regular stocking 33 and after the cover has served its useful purpose, the same is thrown away and another cover A will be substituted for use by the next customer. Thus, the interior of the new shoe 33 is never contacted by the sock or stocking or the foot of the customer when using the novel protective cover device A.

There is thus provided a simple, cheap one piece article made of non-absorbent material, which is tissue thin so as not to be bulky in any noticeable degree when used for trying on new shoes and which will not be affected by shoe size. Because it is smooth and no moisture comes in contact with the shoe, it allows the new shoes to slide on with ease and dispatch. Also, the device may be made in size ranges to fit small children and up to and including adult male and females, said device lending itself to efiicient mass production techniques.

Also, these protective covers will be given each customer by the shoe store prior to his or her trying on new shoes and remain on the foot, until all desired shoes have been tried on. For those shoe stores not carrying this protective cover, the item can be purchased elsewhere and carried in the customers pocket or handbag for his or her protection when trying on new shoes.

Without further description, it is believed that the foregoing amply describes the present novel arrangement and combination of parts which make up the side, toe and heel portions which make up the structure of the present novel invention.

What is claimed is:

A foot covering for a single use throwaway foot discase preventative and new shoe protector comprising duplicate side, toe and heel portions and an intermediate seamless sole portion adapted to be folded in half to a superposed position, to thereby define the body of the protector and permit the formation'of seams at the said toe and heel portions, said side portions converging along each respective top edge into a V-shaped notch section UNITED STATES PATENTS Yandell May 22, 1945 C-rofut Nov. 20, 1945 Aroeste Jan. 31, 1950 Baker Feb. 14, 1950 Hardman Sept. 22, 1953 Luchs Nov. 22, 1955 Goodman Aug. 26, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy July 11, 1946 

